2009 Fall Anime Preview – Bringing you the meh

I really hate HTML tables. 75% of the time spent on this post was messing with table code. I’m thinking I should format this differently next time around.

This fall seems to be the season for uninspired sequels. A good third of the season consists of sequels – of mostly crappy shows. It boggles my mind how many crappy sequels there are this season. In case anime studios are having difficulty figuring out what to make sequels for, here’s a list of sequels I’d rather see (that haven’t been announced yet):

A Death Note L-centric spinoff

An L, Battler and Maria vs. Beatrice, Yagami Light and the Witches Umineko/Death Note crossover (this would be epic)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 3: The Disappearance Arc, The Buried Treasure Arc, and a How Haruhi Would Deal With Bullies and Trolls OVA

FMP: Fumoffu 2: Tessa’s Naked Revenge

Anyway, much thanks to MAL, ANN and Chartfag for the descriptions below. All picture credits are due to MAL, except Sangoku Engi, which is due to ANN.

The Umineko Award for definitely will watch, definitely will write about

Nothing here. Whoops.

Shockingly, no shows fit this category. I guess I’ll be continuing Umineko from the summer, and I’d like to pick up 2-3 fall shows to write about, but it’s hard to say which shows they’ll be. It’ll have to be an on-the-fly pickup like Sora no Manimani, unless something changes my mind over the next month.

The Canaan Award for all I really care about is the hot yuri action

A Certain Scientific Railgun

SummaryAll you need to know is this is a spinoff of A Certain Magical Index, following the two best characters from the original: Mikoto, tsundere-chan in training, and Kuroko, the raging loli yuri.

Thoughts: I’ll definitely be watching this, as Mikoto and Kuroko were by far the two best characters from A Certain Magical Index. Plus, they switched up directors from A Certain Magical Index, so I’m hopeful there won’t be any 15 minute dashes across a small room, or whole episodes of posturing and talking about I don’t even remember what. There’s a chance I may write about it if it’s only 12-13 episodes, but it’ll be wait and see.

Sora no Manimani Award for I’m probably underestimating this show

Kimi ni Todoke

Summary: This story is centered around a girl named Kuronuma Sawako who is nicknamed Sadako (ghost girl from "The Ring") by her classmates because of her scary face and demeanor. She greatly admires Kazehaya-kun from afar, he is "100% refreshing" and is able to draw in people with his personality. Unlike her facial expressions she yearns to make friends and live as a normal student. Gradually she starts affects those around her, including Kazehaya-kun…

Thoughts: For some reason this is classified as a shoujo. I like romcoms, but I don’t really like shoujo. What exactly is a shoujo romance, and how does it different from a regular romance? (Besides that the girl is the main character.) I guess we’ll see. If anything, I’d predict this is the show most likely to become my Sora no Manimani of the season.

Kobato.

Summary: Kobato is sweet and perky girl, but also extremely naive about the world around her. She has a "mission", which is to fill a mysterious bottle of hers with the suffering from people’s hearts so her wish to go a certain place that she desires to go can be granted. However, she must not fall in love with a particular boy she works with and whose heart she must heal.

Thoughts: The knock on it is that it seems a little too shoujo for my tastes, but Madhouse + CLAMP should be a good combo. It’s going to be directed by the director of Chi’s Sweet Home and Chi’s New Address. This is a good thing if you’re in the mood for a toothache, or possibly diabetes. Other than that, I’m not sure what to expect. My expectations are low, but I’m hoping that like Bakemonogatari, another show I had low expectations for, that it turns out great.

Letter Bee

Summary: Gauche is a governmental employee, given the task to deliver any letter to it’s destination. Meeting a young boy who is the letter to be delivered, Gauche makes friends with Lag and inspires him to take up the job. Five years later, Lag Seeing finally becomes his dream, that of a Letter Bee. However, the one who inspired him has gone missing and only there does the mystery start.

Thoughts:It’s hard to tell what kind of show this is based on the summary alone. The first image that pops in my head is Shigofumi. If this turns out to be any sort of good, it may be one I pick up to write about.

Seiken no Blacksmith (The Sacred Blacksmith)

Summary: Once upon a time, there was a tragic war, in which the power of the devils was involved. After the war, the devils’ power was banned and the world was restored to peace. Cecily Campbell is a knight, who has been looking for a blacksmith to repair her old sword given by her father. One day, she saw a man fighting with a ruffian who used the tabooed devil’s power. The man defeated him with one blow of his weirdly shaped sword. The man turned out to be a blacksmith called Luke. The fateful encounter was the beginning of the adventure.

Thoughts: I like the character designs and artwork, I’m a little less thrilled about the story. It’s more likely that I’ll end up disappointed, but I’m interested enough to give it a shot. If it can reach the level of Zero no Tsukaima, season 1, I’ll be happy. Plus Aki Toyosaki is always a bonus!

The Bakemonogatari Award for I don’t think I’m interested, but there’s a chance I may get hooked

11eyes

Summary: Satsuki Kakeru lost his sister by suicide and has been living a dull life ever since then. One day, he is transported into a bizarre world "Red Night" along with his friend Minase Yuka. In order to survive and escape from Red Night, he fights against Dark Spirits (Ralva) and Black Nights.

Thoughts: Based on an eroge? Uh oh. That bodes terribly for this show. I’m only giving it a shot because Daisuke Ono’s voicing the male lead, and he’s up there along with Jun Fukuyama, Tomokazu Sugita, and Norio Wakamoto for king of the male seiyuu hill as far as I’m concerned.

Kampfer

Summary: Bishoujo battle & school love comedy. Senou Natsuru is a normal high school boy. One day he wakes up to find himself turned into a girl. A stuffed tiger "Harakiri Tora" gains a life and tells him to fight as a female psychic fighter "Kämpfer". Having no idea about what’s going on, Natsuru is involved in the battles against other Kämpfers.

Thoughts: I don’t like the idea of genderbending. I mean, it’s gross. There, I said it. If I ever woke up one day as a girl, I-I-I don’t even know how to end that sentence. But similar to Nyan Koi!, this story is ridiculous enough that I’ll give it a shot.

Kuchu Buranko

Summary: In modern Japan, people visit “doctors of neurology,” rather than therapists. Dr. Ichiro Irabu is an eccentric neurologist with an injection fetish, an Oedipus complex, and a green Porsche, known for making patients much worse before they get better.

Thoughts: It’s directed by the director of Mononoke, which I’ve read very good things about, but I’ve never seen. So I don’t even know if that style of anime appeals to me. I’m not really the artsy type. But I may give this a shot. The description seems quirky enough that’s worth giving a shot. I’d predict that this is the show that’s most likely to become my Bakemonogatari of the season.

Nyan Koi!

Summary: Junpei K?saka is a second-year high school student who despises cats and has an allergy to them. It just so happens that his high school crush is Kaede Mizuno, a girl who adores cats. One day, while walking home from school, Junpei kicks an empty can and unfortunately beans the local neko-jiz?-sama (guardian deity of cats). He finds he can now understand what cats are saying, including his family’s own ill-tempered cat, Nyamusasu. However, if he does not grant 100 wishes from cats, he will turn into a cat himself.

Thoughts: This actually doesn’t belong in this category. It deserves its own "Probably a crappy show, but I’m strangely excited to watch it" category. The story seems ridiculous enough where I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I’m just planning on turning my brain off and enjoying the ride.

Sora no Otoshimono

Summary: Tomoki Sakurai often encounters a strange girl in his dreams asking for his help, but he can’t remember her face when he wakes up. When an Unidentified Mysterious Animal (U.M.A.) falls out of the sky, his life of pacifism suddenly becomes complicated. The animal turns out to be an angel, Ikaros.

Thoughts: Sigh. You know it’s a slow season, because it feels like I’m giving too many shows a shot this season just because their storylines sound completely asinine. Whatever. I’m interested enough to check it out.

Seitokai no Ichizon

Summary: The members of the student council of Hekiyou Gakuen are chosen by a popularity vote. As a result, all the members are cute girls except for Sugizaki Ken, who studied hard to enter the council. This novel is about the endless chattering of the members with full of parodies of "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", "Dragon Ball" etc.

Thoughts: This was originally in my summer preview, but I guess it got delayed. Ironically, it was also in my "Saki don’t waste my time" bucket, but a weak season changes everything. Because now it’s fall and I’m planning on giving it a shot.

Tatakau Shisho – The Book of Bantorra

Summary: In a world where dead people turn into books and are stored in the Bantorra Library where anyone who reads a book can learn their past. Bantorra Library is maintained by Armed Librarians who wield psychic powers and their enemy is a religious society known as Sindeki Kyoudan.

Thoughts: Just the idea of super-powered librarians is sort of ridiculous to me. I mean, I could be wrong. Maybe psychics + librarians is one of those unlikely combos where you’re like no, no, no, no, YES! I’m rather skeptical of that, but I’ll give it a shot.

Sequels, Sequels, Sequels! (that I won’t watch)

Darker Than Black: Comet of Gemini

Summary: In Tokyo, an impenetrable field known as "Hell’s Gate" appeared ten years ago. At the same time, psychics who wield paranormal powers at the cost of their conscience also emerged. Hei is one of the most powerful of these psychic agents, and along with his blind associate, Yin, works for one of the many rival agencies vying to unlock the mysteries of Hell’s Gate.

Thoughts: Darker Than Black is one of those shows I’d probably enjoy except that I haven’t watched it yet. I keep meaning to, but something else always seems to take precedence. It’s unlikely I’ll get to it before the 2nd season starts though, but one day I’ll get to this.

Asura Cryin’ 2

Summary: Tomoharu is a normal high school student… except for he’s not alone. Haunted by the ghost of his dead childhood best friend, he moves into a new home in time for the new school year. That becomes a little more difficult than anticipated when his house becomes overrun with various female occult users. Even worse than that he has been pulled into a fight to protect a trunk within the house that others want to steal

Thoughts: There was an Asura Cryin’ 1? Pass.

Stitch! 2

Summary: An anime re-imagining of Stitch, this time set in Japan with many Japanese cultural aspects in place of the original Hawaiian theme.

Thoughts: There was a Stitch! anime adaptation? Pass.

Natsu no Arashi 2

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Yasaka is a boy staying at his grandfather’s house during his summer vacation. One day he entered a store and met Arashi, a beautiful sixteen-year old girl working there…

Thoughts: There was a… Ok, no more joke recycling. But I didn’t watch Natsu no Arashi 1, and really had no intention to. So pass on this as well.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza

Summary: It’s a love story about another hapless harem lead hooking up with a clueless, rich girl, except this rich girl has a dark secret – she’s a diehard fan of anime, manga and otaku culture.

Thoughts: The original Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu was interesting for about the first handful of episodes. Then it became a predictable, boring drag. It’s bad news when all the supporting characters are more interesting than the 2 main leads. They should’ve gone the Magical Index route and given Haruka’s spicy younger sister a spinoff.

White Album 2

Summary: Toya Fuji, a college student is dating a rising idol singer named Yuki Morikawa. There are numerous challenges to the couple’s relationship from the other people at Fuji’s college, Morikawa’s work, and elsewhere.

Thoughts: Similar to Natsu no Arashi, I didn’t watch the first White Album and had no interest in doing so.

Queen’s Blade: Heir to the Throne

Thoughts: I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that there’s a sequel – porn is a bastion of sequels. Pass.

InuYasha Final Act

Summary: According to Weekly Shounen Sunday vol.34, a new season of Inu Yasha was announced to be aired from this autumn. It’s the final chapter of the series titled "InuYasha Kanketsu-hen" and the original staff and cast will animate the manga volumes 36 – 56.

Thoughts: This show is still on? Pass.

Shin Koihime†Musou

Summary: After losing her family to bandits during a night raid, Kanu vows not to let others share the pain she had, and quickly becomes a widely-known bandit hunter featured amongst villains. During her journey she meets others who wish to join her cause.

Thoughts: This is apparently a spinoff of something called Koihime†Musou. Considering I’ve never heard of it, I won’t be watching this. Boy, that was the easiest and most monotonous stretch of "thoughts" I’ve ever written.

The Needless Award for only on a lonely, desert island

Battle Spirits: Shounen Gekiha Dan

Summary: The Japanese toy conglomerate Bandai has revealed that the second television anime series based on the Battle Spirits trading card game will premiere on September 13 under the name Battle Spirits: Sh?nen Gekiha Dan.

Thoughts: When is Sunrise going to get back to producing a "for real" show like Code Geass or Gundam instead of crap like this?

Fairy Tail

Summary: Lucy is a 17-year-old girl, who wants to be a full-fledged mage. One day when visiting Harujion Town, she meets Natsu, a young man who gets sick easily by any type of transportation. But Natsu isnt just any ordinary kid, he’s a member of one of the world’s most infamous mage guilds: Fairy Tail

Thoughts: This is one of those shounens that’s supposed to last forever like Naruto, One Piece and Bleach, right? Even if it doesn’t last that long, I don’t think I’ll be watching this.

Sangoku Engi

Summary: A 52-episode adaptation of the classic chinese novel, depicting the tumultuous warring period of second-century China and the political intrigue between the different factions. It is a joint partnership between Chinese and Japanese animation companies.

Thoughts: Something tells me this is going to be nowhere as near as interesting as Sengoku Basara. 52-episodes probably means lots of episodes with no fights. Pass.

Sasameki Koto

Summary: Murasame Sumika is popular in the high school for her excellence in the marks and sports. However, she has a secret: she is in love with her classmate Kazama Ushio. Ushio also has a liking to the love between girls, but she hasn’t noticed Sumika’s feeling and always been refused by other girls.

Thoughts: This sounds exactly like Aoi Hana. And how come yuri shows all seem to use the watercolor look? No thanks.

Winter Sonata

Summary: Airing 2009. Based on the Korean drama television series about the love between two childhood friends and the tragic events that happen.

Thoughts: I hate almost all Korean romance dramas, because of how ridiculously tragic and heavy they are. It’s like how many times can the poor girl from the country be flown to a different country against her will, with her rich fiancee that she hates but has been forced into marrying, while the poor guy that she really likes, arrives at the airport 2 seconds too late, screams and falls to his knees in a bloody clump, and then spends the next 2 years drinking his life away, until by chance he runs into the girl, who’s probably piss drunk herself, at a subway station somewhere. Not saying that this happens in Winter Sonata, but I’d rather watch Queens Blade than put myself through an animated version of a K-drama. Sorry, I like to enjoy life.

Yumeiro Patissiere

Summary: The story centers on a 14-year-old girl named Ichigo Amano who wants to be a pâtissière (female pastry chef), but she is stymied by her own clumsiness. One day, she enrolls in St. Mary Academy, a culinary school for sweets, and meets a "spirit of sweets."

Thoughts:I may or may not give this a chance, but it seems too kiddie, too shoujo for my tastes.

Not really too thrilled with the Fall selections since you’d think there’d be heavy hitters, but I’m seeing only a handful of promising titles like Trapeze and Kimi no Todoke. The rest are mostly sequels… sequels to shows that I really didn’t care for, so knowing how I run, I’ll probably only watch Natsu no Arashi 2 and Railgun. And maybe Asura Cryin’ 2. Maybe.
.-= zzeroparticle´s last blog ..The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009) ED Single – Tomare! – Review =-.

Will be watching Railgun for sure. From the looks of the manga it has (the good parts of) the action from Index but without Touma’s long winded speeches. Will probably check out Tatakau Shisho since the art looks like nice lol.

And finally I’ll be watching Queen’s Blade… just so I have something to make fun of.
.-= TJ´s last blog ..Tenjou Tenge 127 =-.

It’s like you’re giving everything a shot… HE’S GOT A GUN!!! *cricket cricket* okay, so yea. A Certain Scientific Railgun did pretty good on the Sea Slugs poll, but it’s too bad none of us are gonna blog it =(. *sniff* We need to real in the Mikoto-Market! =O

It’s like how many times can the poor girl from the country be flown to a different country against her will, with her rich fiancee that she hates but has been forced into marrying, while the poor guy that she really likes, arrives at the airport 2 seconds too late, screams and falls to his knees in a bloody clump, and then spends the next 2 years drinking his life away, until by chance he runs into the girl, who’s probably piss drunk herself, at a subway station somewhere. Not saying that this happens in Winter Sonata

Did you see the live action Death Note movie about L(Forgot the name)? It was pretty damn good, and I’m not the biggest death note fan ever. It’d be awesome for something like that to be put into anime form!
And I support Fumoffu 2. Or a new FMP season all together!

Pretty dull looking season though.
About Sangoku Engi though, are you familiar with the Three Kingdoms novels at all?
I’m one obsessed maniac, so I’ll be watching it. I’d die if it was anything like Sangoku Basara though. Too much awesome diplomacy and debates happened during that era to be passed over.
It’s gonna bug me that Liu Bei and Shu are probably gonna be cast the always-on-screen-heroes while my favored Cao Cao and Wei gets set up as the villain, though.

I’m picking up Kobato ’cause of Clamp aswell, haha. They got the midas touch, in a sense.

Crazy Psychologist interests me too.

One last thing to this overly long comment..
Watch Darker than Black!
I saw maybe half of the first season and very much enjoyed it. I’m planning to catch up before the second season gets too far in. But the show carries itself very well, in my opinion.

Might check out Kuchu Buranko, find out more about Asura Cryin’ and maybe give Kobato a chance.

@Campbell – i think they should leave Death Note as it is. L was by far the best character and the anime went on for far too long after his death, i wouldn’t want to see it dragged out to death (pun not intended)

1) The character designs/artwork looks great, but the story looks boring or too weird to enjoy (I totally agree with you here on the Sacred Blacksmith), or…

2) The story sounds promising, but the character designs/artwork don’t appeal to me.

So nothing here looks completely crappy, but nothing here feels like a surefire success either (except for some sequels that I haven’t gotten around to seeing the originals for either, just like yourself).